Fallout: Brotherhood
by TerminatorARB
Summary: 25 years later: the Enclave is gone, the super mutants are nearly extinct, the Jefferson purifier is filling D.C. with clean water, and the Lone wanderer from Vault 101 is now the Elder of The DC Brotherhood of Steel. Things have been good, but start rolling downhill when Talon Company returns, the Mutants begin to multiply, and the Enclave resurfaces in the Capital Wasteland.
1. Prologue-This is Galaxy News Radio!

**Prologue**

_"Hello, Capital Wasteland! It's me, the incredible Three-dog, master of radio waves here in the D.C. area! It's a fine day here in D.C.. Today's date is May seventh, 2302, the sun is shining, the grass we have is green, the purifier is still runnin' like a dream, the frankensteins here are all but extinct, the Enclave is all but gone, and this might be all but the best place to be in the whole world right now! And who do we thank for our beautiful home? Oh, you know who it is, kiddies, It's our dear friend, The Lone Wanderer from Vault 101, that's who! Without him, our friends in the Brotherhood would have never found a way into Vault 87, they never would have stopped the muties from breedin', the Enclave would still have a president, and the citadel, along with GNR, might not have been standing here today."_

_ "Now, twenty-five years ago, what I just said probably would have sounded nuts. Back then, the place was crawlin' with muties, Enclave, and dirty water. Then 101 stopped it all. As a reward, he became a knight in the Brotherhood of Steel, and they even put him in Lyon's Pride, which is the best team of gunslingers you'll ever know! But it doesn't stop there, folks. When the Brotherhood came from the West to try to stop Old Man Lyons from fightin' The Good Fight, 101 hit it out of the park again, when he managed to convince them to only retire Lyons, rather than kill the old guy. I'm still not done though, folks, it get's even better!"_

_ "Now, after all he's done here, some of you gotta be thinking, 'did they ever pay him?' You see, kiddies, they did pay him, but money wasn't a suitable prize for winning The Good Fight. No, he got even more of a reward when he became the leader of The Brotherhood out here, AND managed to marry the beautiful, and deadly, Sarah Lyons! Now what more of a reward for savin' the Capital Wasteland is that? He runs the whole damn place, now, and he gets a wife who could blow a mutie's head off at a hundred yards! 101, if you're listening, I just wanna say you're the best there is, they couldn't have picked a better man, and I wish you, Sarah, and your boys good luck."_

_ "Thanks for listening, children. And remember, when you step out of your home and see the grass on the ground, you think about who's responsible for putting it there. And if you see a knight, or even a paladin, you tell 'em thanks. This is Galaxy News Radio, and we're here for you! Goodbye, children!"_

* * *

_"It's a sad day indeed children. In not gonna sugarcoat it, and I'm not gonna pretend to enjoy saying it. Our dear friend from Vault 101... well, he's... His son, Jason, was killed in action this morning, in a super mutant behemoth attack. His body was recovered by Reilly's Rangers,and his tags were... brought to me. 101, if you don't mind, I'm... I think I wanna hold onto 'em. It's a shame. I held that boy the day he was born, children. He wasn't just a great soldier in the good fight, he was my friend. Let this be a reminder to you all that while this is a great home, we are not invincible. We at GNR aren't sure how the elder and his son, Scott, have been handling it, or if they even know yet. But if I know the elder, then he's listening now. Sorry brother, he was one hell of a kid."_

_ "On the bright side, none of Rielly's Rangers were hurt recovering Jason's body. This is, however, the fourth behemoth attack that's been reported in the last month. Watch out for yourself, children, I got a feeling it's gonna get real bad real soon."_

* * *

_"Good morning, wasteland! Three-dog, here, and do I have a story for you! So, children, do you remember Megaton? That old town build around a bomb? Well I guess a couple of raiders figured they'd attack this peaceful little place, and got more than they could handle for it. Before I start, I just wanna say, there's nothing cooler than a regular guy saving his own town like this. So, here it goes, children."_

_ "So, a big raider party from Springvale decided one day, that they'd all grow a pair and attack Megaton with all they had. At first, it looked like they were gonna win. They had more men, and they cut down that protectron guard pretty easy. But when they got inside the walls, they got their asses handed to 'em! Who's responsible, you ask? For once, the all powerful Three-dog doesn't know! I'm told that with the help of the sheriff, good 'ol Harden Simms, a new lone wanderer managed to single-handedly fight off thirty-seven raiders! I'll say it again, ain't nothin' cooler than that, kiddies!"_

_ "Now for some info on Downtown D.C.. This place is a mess, children. It hasn't been this bad in at least twenty years. In fact, the only reason GNR is still standing is because of the relationship I have with what I call our president, Mister 101. Mutants are everywhere, children, and I mean everywhere. The sewers are full of 'em, the metros are full of 'em, hell, The Mall's got 'em all dug into trenches, just like back in the day. So, I wanna give a friendly warning to our friend Mister Hannibal at the Lincoln Memorial, and to our friends in Underworld, DON'T GO OUTSIDE!"_

* * *

_"All right, news time, children! Lately, I've been getting all kinds of reports of the Brotherhood Outcasts showing up everywhere. From what I understand, they're still led by the famous 'Protector Casdin', and they really aren't friendly. I'm told they've sacked about three villages, and their on their way now to 'apropriate' Oasis from the kind folks there. With them shiwin' up alongside the muties, things have gone from bad to worse, children. Right now, if things don't get better, the good fight is back on, and we'll need our Brotherhood of Steel to fight it."_

_ "Actually, now that I mention it, here's a fellow who could help us win the good fight. Our lone wanderer from Megaton, the guy who fought off all those raiders a few days ago, walked into Megaton this morning. Behind him, five escaped slaves followed. After some research, I found out this kid's name is Sixx, and he just went to Springvale ON HIS OWN, and shot the place up! Now, for a while, the people of Megaton have been tryin' to contact our Brotherhood, tryin' to get 'em to fix the raider problem there. By the time our boys in steel showed up, there wasn't a single living raider left in that place! And even better, the slave pens in the old school there were empty as well. When our Brotherhood spoke to Sheriff Simms about what happened, he told 'em he was gonna annex Springvale! If that's true, children, then soon, Megaton will end up the capital of our capital!"_

* * *

_"Hellooooo, children! Three-dog here, and before we get to the news, I just have a few questions. It's about our friend, Sixx, the lone wanderer from Megaton. Who do you suppose this guy is? You think he's good or evil? What does he do? Who does he hang around? Is he strong, is he smart? Is he a ladies man?"_

_ "What about the guns he uses? Is he a sniper, or a rifleman? Shotgun, or machinegun? How about his clothes, huh? Is he killing raiders in a duster, or coveralls?"_

_ "Now, the news, folks. As if the Brotherhood Outcasts and the mutants weren't bad enough, the world had to bend us over one more time and throw the rotten bastards from Talon Company at us, too. If you see black armor, you kiddies better run, because Talon mercs are ruthless, and won't stop 'till they get what they want. All I have to say to them, is stay away from Megaton, it's more than you can handle. Thanks for listening, children! This is Three-dog, awhooo, and you're listening to Galaxy News Radio! We're here for you, children."_


	2. Chapter 1-The Lone Wanderer From Megaton

**Chapter 1**

Jason slowly opened his eyes and sat up, cracking his knuckles and neck as he did. He wiped his green eyes and brushed the long, jet black hair out of his face. He stretched his arms out and gave a great yawn as he turned and scooted his legs off of the dusty mattress. After a moment, he tiredly stood up, and a symphony of crackling emitted from the joints in his legs.

_Three weeks,_ he thought to himself. It had been exactly three weeks since he faked his death, and was brought to Megaton by Reilly's Rangers. Since he'd been there, all he'd done was help Sheriff Simms. Finding a home in Megaton was easy, as he'd decided to stay in his father's old house, above the Brass Lantern restaurant. The house was large enough, though, as it had two floors and plenty of room for food and weapons. The bedroom was on the second floor, and to the left of the bedroom door was the storage room, and a chem station. Forward, was the staircase, which led down onto the first floor.

The door to the outside was indirectly forward from the bottom of the stairs, next to a column of machinery. The main room had nothing in it beside a bobblehead stand, a shelf along the stairs, a chair in the corner, and a locker next to the door. In the back of the room was a small kitchen, full of shelves and a fridge. The fridge was empty, though, as Jason only ate at either the Brass Lantern below, or Moriarty's Saloon, across the crater.

Jason yawned once more, and slowly stomped down the stairs. While he walked, a breeze gently buffetted his thin, metal shack. As the wind died down, he reached the bottom. Jason stepped over to the locked next to his door and opened it, withdrawing an old brown duster that his father had given him. Now becoming fully awake, he stuffed his arms int the sleeves and pulled to coat over his back. He snatched his big hat from a nail in the wall and opened his dor, stepping outside.

In front of Jason's house was a large, metal walkway, one of many in Megaton. His home stood on the side of a crater, and the walkways and ramps were required to reach this area. No grass grew in Megaton, as the town was built around a large, deactivated nuclear warhead. The town looked like it was built in a dessert. There was nothing attractive about it, except that it was the only town in the center of the Capital Wasteland that was safe.

Jason swept his hair back once more and pushed his hat down onto his head. He then looked up at the sky as he walked forward, toward the east side of town. The sky was blue, but occasionally, gray and green clouds would block the sky as they did today. Since the sun hadn't shone, it was relatively cool in Megaton, and the wind supplemented the temperature nicely.

Jason didn't travel very far along the rusted catwalk before being stopped by an older man.

"Good morning," greeted Jason, tipping his hat forward.

"Mornin' to you, too," said the man, taking his own hat off.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Jason asked politely.

"Heh, I guess you don't really remember me," said the old man, forcing himself to chuckle a bit. "You see, I just wanted to thank you fer what you done, freein' me and all."

"Oh, you're Marco!" said Jason, now remembering the old man. "You were at Springvale."

"I sure was," Marco replied. "And thanks to you killin' all them raiders, I'm a free man. But I really stopped you to ask your name."

"My name?" asked Jason.

"Yessir," said Marco. "We all just wanted to know our savior's name."

"Oh, well it's Sixx," answered Jason.

"Well, nice meetin' you, Sixx," said Marco, poking Jason in the chest. He then walked off, shaking his head and muttering, "Sixx, I'll 'member that name..."

After the encounter, Jason continued forward, passing Old Man Jerhico's house, and then turning right to walk down a ramp into the crater. Walking around the warhead, he strode up another ramp, and traveled along another walkway to Moriarty's Saloon, where he would eat his breakfast.

Moriarty's Saloon was also a two-story building, with the bar on floor one, and the rooms on the upper the left of the front door were to stairs leading up, and to the right was a lounging area full of tables and chairs. Directly in front of the door was the bar, and behind it, Moriarty's office. Jason sat down at his usual seat at the left end of the bar, and saw Gob walk over with his breakfast.

Gob was a goul, so not many people liked him, and Moriarty would usually hit him for talking to customers too much, but when Jason was at the bar, Gob could talk all he wanted. All gouls were subject to bullying, though, not only Gob. Gouls were humans that ventured into intense radiation pockets. Rather than dying, they lived on for hundreds of years, their bodies decomposing and slowly falling apart. Some people in town would call Gob 'zombie,' or 'skinny,' but Jason was always kind to him. In return, every time Jason came in, Gob already had his meal cooked ready to eat.

"Morning, Gob," said Jason, scooting the plate toward himself.

"Mornin' Sixx," replied Gob. "Colin made it, is it any good?"

Jason took a bite of his brahmin steak, letting the foul piece of overcooked meat sit in his mouth for a moment. "It's only good when you make it, Gob," he said finally, spitting the meat out.

"Thanks, Sixx," said Gob, Removing the plate from the bar. "Let me get you another, on the house."

"Can you do that?" asked Jason, concerned that Moriarty might punish Gob.

"No way, friend," replied Gob. "But for you, I'll risk it."

"Can't let you, Gob," said Jason. "You're gonna get out of here, you have to be alive. I'll pay twice, and you still get your tip."

Gob smiled, and turned to face the stove, beginning to cook another steak. Offering Gob a tip was a sort of code between the two. Gob was a slave to Moriarty, and wasn't free until he paid a debt of two thousand caps to him. Of course, Moriarty charged him room and board, too, so the only way to keep out of constant debt, was to leave the intitial two thousand out of his payments. When Jason offered Gob a tip, it meant he was really stashing a few hundred caps away, which in the end would be used to pay for Gob's freedom.

After a few minutes of waiting, and listening to Galaxy News Radio, Jason's meal was served to him once more by Gob. This time, though, Gob prepared the steak, rather than Moriarty.

"So, how about now?" asked Gob, pouring water into a cup.

"Better," replied Jason, stuffing the steak into his mouth. But as he looked up at Gob for a response, Gob's head was down, and he avoided Jason's eyes. Suddenly, a voice shouted from behind Jason.

"Oi, zombie!" it shouted. "What did I tell yea about lookin' me customers in their eye?"

"S-sorry, Colin," Gob muttered, turning away.

"What in the hell did yea just tell me?" he shouted again, pointing a finger at Gob. "Me name's Mister Moriarty, zombie, and don't you forget it!" As Colin Moriarty took a seat at the stool next to Jason, he snatched the plate from the young man.

"Good morning, Moriarty," said Jason, slightly impatient. "You know, stealing your customer's food isn't a good way to earn their money."

"Ay, blow it out your ass, Jason," Moriarty spat, waving Jason away.

"Jason? but my name's-" Jason began, but was quickly interrupted by Colin.

"Aye, I know who you are, lad," Moriarty said. "As did I know your father, and his father before 'em. You boys all look alike, you know."

"I see," replied Jason, nodding his head. "You won't tell anyone, right?"

After a few moments of chewing on Jason's steak, he finally answered. "I'll get right to the point, lad. I liked your granddad, and your father's an okay fella, but we never made close friends. So, don't take it personal."

"Take what personal?" Jason asked nervously.

Holding a hand out, moriarty replied, "Wait a moment, lad, and let me explain. I'm an old man, and an old man's gotta get by. When I see an opportunity, I take it. Since I like your family, though, I'll be nice about it, and give yea the good news first. Talon Company knows who y'are, laddie."

"How is that good news?" Jason snapped. "How do they know?" Jason became infuriated. He'd need to start all over, now. He couldn't fake his death, this time, though. He would have to disappear completely.

"Well," said Moriarty. "I told 'em. That's the good news. Here comes the bad news. Yea remember what I said about takin' opportunities? Well here it is: I told those mercenaries you were here! And they're comin' up right now, laddie!"

Jason jumped from his stool, and slammed Colin's head forward, onto the bar. Holding Colin down, he growled, "What the hell, Moriarty!? How could you do this?"

"Yea see, lad, turns out havin' the offspring of a Brotherhood Elder is worth three thousand caps here in D.C.."

Jason threw the old man to the ground, and drew a knife from inside his duster. As he grabbed Colin by the collar, three Talon Company mercs came crashing in through the door. They all had shaved heads, and carried automatic rifles. Each also wore black body armor, all marked with the white talon insignia.

As the mercs entered, everyone in the saloon panicked, and looked for a place to hide. In the lounge, people hid behind tables and chairs. Gob ducked under the bar. Releasing Moriarty, Jason stood slowly to meet his adversaries.

"Hey there, pretty boy," one said, sidestepping around Jason's flank. "You're worth quite a lot here in the wastes."

"How'd you get past the Regulators in these parts?" Jason asked, turning to face him.

"We got 'em in their sleep," the merc replied.

"Why not do the same with me?" Jason wondered aloud.

The merc then answered, "It's more fun this-a-way."

Jason then looked at Moriarty, who was still on the ground. "What about him?" he asked nodding at Colin. "You even gonna pay him?"

"You know," the merc said impatiently. "You got a lot of questions, for a dead guy. You plannin' on talking this much after we shoot you?"

"No," replied Jason. "But as a matter of fact, you won't be shooting me."

"Is that right?" the merc asked as his companions began to laugh. They stopped suddenly, though, as the door flew open again. It wasn't a merc entering this time, though. It was Sheriff Harden, sporting his double barrel shotgun. He dispatched one of the soldiers immediately, blasting a cavity into the man's chest with his shotgun. At the same time, Gob arose from behind the counter, unloading his .32 revolver on the second merc. With the first two dispatched, Jason thrusted his knife into the hand of the third, forcing the man to drop his gun. Now outnumbered an injured, the Talon mercenary threw his hands up and dropped to his knees, shouting, "Please don't kill me!" and "I was only trying to scare you!"

"My ass," snorted Harden, loading two more shells into his gun. "Now we gotta waste our bullets on your sorry hide."

"Hold on, sheriff," said Jason, patting Harden on the shoulder. "I wanna talk to him." Jason then sunk down to the Mercenary's level, holding his knife against the man's throat. "So, do you want to tell me where you guys are?"

"I don't know where the main base is," the merc whimpered. "They've always kept me in the field."

"You look scared," said Jason. "Especially for someone who was just threatening to kill me."

"I-I told you, I dunno where our base is," The merc repeated.

"And you can't even tell a lie?" asked Jason, chuckling. "So much for the feared Talon Company. So here's what's happening: I'm gonna cut on you until you tell me where you guys are hiding."

The merc refused to answer. Forcing the mercenary onto the ground, Jason held the man's face down, slowly carving a gash into his forehead. The merc began to scream, and after Jason finished the cut, the merc began to talk.

"We're in Germantown!" he screamed. "We're in the police station!"

"You see?" said Jason, withdrawing his knife. "That's all you had to say. No you're gonna go back, and you're gonna tell 'em that I said The Regulators are coming to shut them down. Got it?"

The Merc nodded quickly, wiping the blood from his face afterward.

"Now," said Jason, pointing at the door. "Go."

Without saying anything, the merc scrambled to his feet, and dashed out the door.

"Nice work fightin' off that bastard, laddie," said Moriarty, slowly standing upward. His balance didn't last long, however, because as he stood, Jason spun around and punched him right in the jaw, knocking Colin out cold.

"I guess it's lucky I showed up in time," said Sheriff Harden.

"Yeah, it is," replied Jason, scratching his head.

"Guess you're goin' after those guys?" Harden asked.

"Yeah," said Jason, shaking his head.

"So are you really the Elder's son? Is that how you interrogated that guy? It's because you're a paladin?"

"Yes, I am. And yes, it is."

"Well I'll be damned," said Harden, smiling. "No wonder you were able to whoop all them raiders. Talon Company's more organized than raiders, though. You can't take 'em all on your own."

"My father was friends with Sonora Cruz, the leader of the Regulators," said Jason. "They fought Talon back then, so maybe I can talk them into doing it again."

"You gonna stick around here, or jump into the fighting?" asked Harden.

"I don't have a choice," said Jason. "If word is out that I'm alive, I might as well get back to work. Right now I have to head to the Regulator HQ and tell them what's happening."

"All right, then," said Harden. "I'd go with you, but I got a town to run." He then offered his hand to Jason. "It's been nice workin' with you."

Jason took the sheriff's hand. "Likewise," he said.

"And just so you know," Simms added. "If you want a little help, come by my place before you leave, I got something for you."

"I certainly will," raplied Jason, pushing through the front door. He walked out and backtracked through town, returning to his house. Multiple thoughts flew through his mind as Jason walked along the rickety walkways. He wondered if the Brotherhood would come to Megaton to reclaim him, or if more Talons would show up and destroy the town. He also thought about the regulators. Would they fight Talon Company?

The regulators were certainly a small organization, no bigger than they were twenty-five years ago. They acted as a sort of police in the wastes, killing and imprisoning people like raiders or slavers. Their leader was a woman named Sonora Cruz, who would be in her fifties by now. The Regulator Headquarters was a small fort out in the northeast, close to Canterbury Commons and the scrapyard, far North of D.C..

Jason didn't waste time when he returned to his house. The moment he entered, he quickly strode over to the locker next to his front door, snatching the handle and swinging the hatch open. He took from inside his father's old ten millimeter pistol, which he brought with him from Vault 101 twenty-five years ago. Next to it was a small plastic bag, which held five full clips for the handgun. Jason then opened the bottom hatch of his locker, and grabbed a long object from inside, which was wrapped in a red blanket. He pulled at and unfolded part of the blanket, revealing the front barrel of his pump shotgun. He tore the blanket entirely, and then reached back into the locker, grabbing a handful of twelve gauge shells. After loading the shotgun and stuffing a box of shells from the locker into his coat pocket, Jason slid the shotgun into a long holster on his back, and his pistol into a holster on his waist.

After arming himself, Jason exited his home once more, turning left and descending down a thin metal ramp toward the gate. Rather than heading for the gate, however, Jason turned left once more, and walked straight toward Harden Simms' house. He approached the storm door and beat his fist upon it, wondering what this gift from Harden was. After a moment of waiting, the dark skinned sheriff opened the door and stepped outside with a rifle in his hands.

"Hello, Harden," said Jason, tipping his hat forward. "Thought I'd come tell you I'm about to go."

"Good thing you stopped by, then," replied Harden. "You see I've got this rifle for you." he then presented the bolt action rifle in his hands. "It's my Pa's old hunting rifle."

Jason took the rifle and inspected it, pulling the bolt back and knocking on the wooden stock. "It's in great shape," he said finally. "You sure you won't need it?"

"No way, friend," said Harden, smiling. "Heirlooms don't mean shit to me, and now I got some assault rifles. That old thing is powerful, though, and it shoots straight enough."

"Thank you," replied Jason. "It certainly will come in handy, I'm sure of it."

"Oh, before I forget," Harden said quickly, sliding a box out of his own coat pocket. "Take these .32 rounds, some ammo for the rifle."

"Thanks again," said Jason, accepting the ammunition. "I guess I'd better go. If you need to contact me, I'll be making stops at Arefu, Bigtown, and maybe Meresti."

"Duly noted," replied Sheriff Simms, waving at Jason.

"Later," said Jason, waving back and jogging to the giant metal gate. Pushing on it, Jason forced the great hinged slate forward, allowing him to walk out of Megaton and into the Capital Wasteland.

* * *

_"What's good, children! This is Three-dog, awhooo, and you're listening to Galaxy News Radio! Time for some news, folks. So today, I get word that a couple of mercs from Talon Company came into Megaton lookin' for someone. Turns out that someone is our very own Jason! He's alive, children, and this old dog couldn't be happier right now. As a matter of fact, he's been hidin' in Megaton this whole time, and if you thought that was crazy, wait 'till you here this: he was living under the guise of a fella named Sixx! That's right, kiddies, Sixx, the lone wanderer from Megaton is in fact Jason, paladin of the Brotherhood of Steel!"_

_ "When the Talons moved in on Megaton, that P.O.S. barkeep, Colin Moriarty, sold our friend out to 'em. They got more than they bargained for when they tried to take on Jason, though, because when they did, the whole situation ended in a gunfight right in Moriarty's Saloon! Jason and his friend, the sheriff, whooped Talon ass, and now, from what I hear, Jason's left Megaton. Why he's gone, we don't know, but I sure am glad that he's all right!"_

_ "This is some good news we sorely needed, especially with all that's been going on. 101, congrats on your kid bein' all good. And kid, good work takinng those Talons out. Thanks for listening, children! this is Three-dog, awhooo, and you're listening to Galaxy News Radio! We're radio free wasteland, and we're here for you!" _


	3. Chapter 2-More Big Trouble In Bigtown!

**Chapter 2**

Jason stepped forward, letting the giant gate slam shut behind him. Outstretched before him was the wasteland, a series of endless rolling, dusty hills that was home to several deadly creatures, radiation pockets, super mutants, and hazardous heat. Jason no longer had the protection of Megaton's walls. He was on his own in the wastes, now.

Jason began to march North, toward Arefu, a settlement build on an old over pass above the Potomac. Today wasn't very hot, as clouds filled the sky, and a cool breeze flowed through the air. Jason clambered over and around a series of rocks and boulders outlaying Megaton. It didn't take him long, as he'd been through these boulders plenty of times with the Brotherhood, and on his own. exiting the maze of scattered boulders, Jason found himself among the ruins of Springvale, which was, until recently, a raider encampment, now clear of it's inhabitants, thanks to Jason.

He trailed along a worn, cracked road, passing bent up street signs, playgrounds, and the shattered, blackened frames of what used to be houses. Springvale was very valuable to the people of Megaton, since it was so close. The previous sheriff, Lucas Simms had plans to annex the area to Megaton, but was killed by the local raiders when he came to inspect it. Harden Simms, Lucas' son, was now able to begin work on the town, though, because Jason had helped him remove the raiders occupying it.

After passing through the streets of Springvale and the hills that housed the famous Vault 101, Jason found himself following a great trench that was the Potomac. Little of the actual river really remained after the bombs fell, put small patches of water appeared along the ditch every twenty or thirty yards.

Jason had no contact with the creatures of the wasteland on his journey up the Potomac. He was lucky enough to avoid combat with the overgrown radscorpions, or the crab-like mirelurks.

He did cross paths with a friendly wastelander, though, who sold him several bottles of water and a container of Rad-X, a medication used to resist the effects of radiation. After his brief transaction, Jason continued North, until he saw an overpass standing above the river.

Jason began to run toward the overpass, as he'd recognized it, and identified it as Arefu, his first stop. It was a little after noon at this point, and the cloud cleared away, letting the sun shine, beating warmth into the wastes once more. He stopped running and bent over, gasping for air. It had quickly become hot, and Jason was tired from the hours of walking through the dusty wastes. Once he recovered, he looked up to see that the ramp to Arefu was no more than a few feet from himself. He regained his composure, and began to march once more, up the ramp to Arefu.

This was Jason's first time in Arefu, though he knew the town very well. According to what he'd been told, Arefu was well guarded by a group of people known as The Family. The town itself was cleverly built upon the overpass, leaving any raider or slaver only one point of entry: a long, open road toward the town. As a result of its location, Arefu was an incredibly difficult place to raid. Houses were built along the sides of the road, crammed close together and only leaving the center of the overpass open for communing. Stalls were set up in this area for vendors to sell their wares to the citizens of Arefu. In the back of the town, where the overpass broke off, a large building stood, which acted as a sort of town hall.

As Jason stepped up along the overpass, he was stopped by a hooded man, who stood further up the ramp.

Pointing a gun at Jason, the man asked, "Who are you, and what business do you have here?"

Holding his hands up, Jason replied, "I'm here to see a man named Evan King."

"How do you know Evan?" the man asked, his gun still pointed at Jason.

"I didn't really know him," replied Jason. "My father did. He told me once that Evan was the mayor here, and that he owed my father a debt."

"Yeah?" the man asked. "Well, what's your name?"

"Jason," Jason replied.

"Jason?" the man asked in surprise. "Wait, you Alex's son?"

"That'd be me."

The man then lowered his gun. "Well, I'm sorry to tell you Jason, but Evan King died of old age about ten years ago. My name's Ian West, I'm in charge here." Ian then paused to think for a moment. "Come on in," he called, waving Jason over.

Dropping his hands down to his sides, Jason began to hike up the ramp once more. "How do you know my dad?" he asked, once he'd caught up with Ian.

"He's a friend of mine," Ian replied. "Helped Evan and I out a long time ago, and saved this town, too. Why'd you want to talk to Evan?"

"My dad told me that Evan owed him," answered Jason. "I was gonna see about getting a place to stay in for today."

"I see," said Ian, slinging his rifle around his shoulder. "Well then, follow me."

Ian led Jason up through the settlement, passing through a crowd of busy shoppers and vendors. "It never used to be this crowded," Ian said. "But, since your dad saved us, people have started moving in, starting businesses, having families. Now, we have a stable little town, free of crazies trying to rob us." After passing several rusty, shoddy houses and shacks, Ian tapped on Jason's shoulder, pointing at one of the buildings. "In here," he said. The building was very wide, and it was labeled 'bar.'

The inside of the building was rather small. In the back was a crowded bar, each stool taken by someone. The rest of the room was full of tables and chairs, each table lit up with a dim, flickering light bulb. At the left side of the room was a door. The two sat a a table in the corner to the right of the door.

"So, what are you doing way out here?" asked Ian taking his hood off. Ian looked to be about forty years old, and his hair was black with streaks of gray.

"Well, I faked my death to get out of the Brotherhood, and I ended up in Megaton," Jason began. "But, after a few days, people started to recognize me. Someone called Talon company, told them were I was."

"That must have sucked," said Ian.

"Well, the sheriff and I managed to deal with the three that attacked me, but apparently, there's a whole group of them in Germantown. So, I'm headed up northeast, to the Regulator Headquarters. I'm gonna see if these guys will help me fight of Talon again."

"Well," said Ian, leaning back and tapping the door next to the table. "You're welcome to stay in this room, and if you need a hand up in Germantown, let me know. I'd be glad to help you."

As the conversation came to an end, the front door flew open, and a frantic man stood in the doorway. He wore a brahmin-skin coat and a stormchaser hat, and he carried a hunting rifle on his back. He ran in and crashed to the floor, startling everyone in the bar to the point at which they all drew their guns. Ian recognized this man, however, and immediately ran to his aid. Jason quickly followed.

"RJ!" Ian shouted, kneeling next to the dust-covered stranger.

"You know this guy?" Jason asked, trying to lift by his right arm.

"Yes," said Ian, pulling the man's left arm up. "This is RJ MacCready, he's the mayor of Bigtown. Help me get him across the street."

"What's across the street?" Jason asked, supporting RJ under his arm.

"The doc's clinic, let's go!"

The two men carried the unconscious mayor of Bigtown across the street, kicking the door open and barging into the clinic. The doctor came running out of the back room with a knife in his hands, expecting to be robbed.

"Doc," pleaded Ian. "IT's RJ, you gotta help him, something's wrong!"

The doctor threw down his knife and opened the door to the back room, hastefully replying, "Bring him back here."

Jason and Ian stumbled into the back room, throwing RJ onto the table in the center of the room. "What happened to him, Doc?" Ian asked rapidly. "Is he okay?"

Taking off RJ's hat, the doctor laid his hand on his forehead, examining his arms and face as well. "He's burnin' up," said the doctor. "An' he's taken quite a beatin'. All we can do is give him some Buffout and some water when he comes around. Shouldn't take long though, he collapsed from heat exhaustion. His body's just tryin' to cool off." The doctor was correct in his assumption, as RJ quickly awoke, panting and covered in sweat.

"Bigtown!" he coughed, trying to sit up.

"Calm down," ordered the docter, holding RJ down on the table. "Have some water." The doctor turned around and retrieved two water bottles from a rusted cabinet behind him. He placed one bottle in RJ's hand, and the other on RJ's forehead. RJ gulped down his water, and took a moment to catch his breath. After a short while, his breathing eased up, and he was able to talk. Though he was in better condition then when he first arrived, MacCready was still very panicked, and he spoke quickly, as soon as he could talk.

"Bunch of guys.. took Bigtown...stole our brahmin," he rambled, trying to get several words out at once.

"RJ!" Ian snapped, grabbing his friend by the shoulders. "Calm down and tell us what happened."

RJ then paused a moment, took a deep breath, and tried again. "Guys in black armor. They came into Bigtown from up North. I think I heard about them on the radio, but I didn't think-"

"Talon Company?" Jason asked abruptly.

Rj sat up and looked at Jason. "I think that's what the radion called 'em. They took our town, put everyone in cages. I killed two or three of those bastards, but then I ran off to get help. I been running all day."

"Why do you think they'd want Bigtown?" Ian asked Jason. "Maybe the mutants kicked 'em out of Germantown?"

"No," said RJ. "They didn't look like they were running away from anything. I think they wanted the town because of its walls. It'd make a great fort."

"Maybe," Jason thought aloud. "But why would they start attacking towns? I thought they were contract killers, not terrorists."

"They're terrorists, alright," RJ said. "And like all terrorists, they're all just chicken-shits, using their numbers as an advantage! Soon as I get the manpower, I'm going there and taking my town back!" he shouted, standing up.

"Hold on," said Jason, holding his hand out. "I'm headed to the Regulators' place tomorrow."

"Why?" RJ asked suspiciously.

"The Talons attacked Megaton, too. We got one for questioning, and he said they were based in Germantown, in the police station. That's just North of your town, right?"

"Yeah," said RJ. "You think they're just grabbing land?"

"I don't doubt it," replied Jason. "Last time the coats fought them, they only had one fort. It would definitely give them an edge to have more than one base of operations."

"Yeah?" asked RJ. "And how do you know that, who are you?"

Jason scratched his head. "Well, I'm-"

"It's Jason," Ian said quickly. "Alex's son."

RJ blinked. "Alex... wait Alex? That Vault guy from way back?"

"Yep," said Ian. "Alex is the leader of our Brotherhood of Steel, and Jason here is a paladin."

"Well, that's why he knows all about those mercs, I bet," replied RJ, eyeing Jason.

"Wait, how do you know my father?" Jason asked, confusedly.

"I let you dad into Lamplight twenty-something years ago," RJ explained. "It was back when I was a kid. Way I understand it, he needed to go through Lamplight to get to a vault. I guess he got something from inside that helped your water purifier in D.C. start running. About a month after that, your dad and the guys from the Brotherhood came through Lamplight again. This time, they gave us water, and went into the vault to kill all the mutants."

"Sounds like everyone out here knows my dad," said Jason.

"You believe it, kid," replied Ian. "That man has done more for everyone in the wasteland alone than the whole Brotherhood. Even with Project Purity, which he started, I might add. You ought to know that, though, he's your dad."

"Speaking of your dad," said RJ. "I heard you died. If you're not dead, then why aren't you back in D.C. with him?"

"Let's just say that the Brotherhood was a little too much for me. And you said so yourself; my dad did plenty without the Brotherhood of Steel at his back."

"I guess," said RJ. "But back to Bigtown. What do we do about the mercs?"

"Like I said," replied Jason. "I'm going to see Sonora Cruz, and hopefully, the Regulators will help us."

"Then I guess I'm going to Rivet City," said RJ.

"Why there?" asked Ian.

"The Regulators are tough," said RJ. "But there aren't a whole lot of them. I'm gonna see if I can't get Rivet City security to help out."

"Sounds like a plan," said Jason.

"You both need rest, though," said Ian. "Stay here in Arefu tonight, and tomorrow I'll see you guys off."

"Sounds good," said Jason, stepping out of the back room. "I guess I'll be across the street."

"And I'll be here," said RJ.

"Okay, then," replied Ian. "See you around MacCready." He then left the clinic, returning to his post in front of the town.

_"Good day, wastelanders! This is Three-dog, awhooo, and do I have news for you! So, years back, a boy from Lamplight, one RJ MacCready, became the sheriff of Bigtown. He became great friends with our boy Ian West from Arefu, when he started to buy cattle off of Ian. Recently, He was seen running like a wild man through the wastes! Turns out he was head for Arefu, and he was running from those Talon mercs."_

_ "Here's the important part, children, so listen up: the mercs took control of Bigtown, and they imprisoned everyone there, so if you're settled near Bigtown or are headed that way, get out of there. Now. Talon Company isn't a group you wanna screw around with."_

_ "Back to our friend RJ, though. He made it to Arefu, but guess who arrived there, too, only minutes earlier? That's right folks, Jason, the lone wanderer! Will the two join forces and try to take back Arefu? Or will they be smart about it and head northeast, toward the Regulator HQ? I'm not gonna lie folks, The Coats are the people to go to when you got a problem. They're pretty much the 'unofficial police of the wastes.' If Jason's getting the Regulators' help, he'll have no problem taking Bigtown back, and even less of a problem taking the Talons out for good."_

_ "Jason, if you're listening, we're rooting for you, and we hope you get it done. Thanks for listening ,children! This is Three-dog from Galaxy News Radio, and we're here for you! Keep Jason in your prayers, watch out for mutants, watch out for mercs. Goodbye, children!"_


	4. Chapter 3-The DC Brotherhood of Steel

**Chapter 3**

Alex stood on a large walkway above the ground, staring into the dull, red visor of the great war machine that was Liberty Prime. After nearly twenty-five years, Prime was now complete. It was ready for war, and was better equipped than ever. There were several improvements on the machine's designs, thanks to the brilliant mind of the now deceased Scribe Rothchild, and the younger, and more eccentric, Scribe Brown, an old friend to Alex.

The completion of Liberty Prime was not the Elder's reason for being in this quiet place, high up and away from crowded ground floor of The Citadel. He came here to think, for it was the only place in which he could do so in peace. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, as he always did when a lot was on his mind. He wondered about his son, Jason, and why he'd left The Citadel. And, as he did often, he thought about himself.

Alex was an old man, nearly forty-five years old. He wore the blue coat that signified his rank of Elder. He was still very strong an youthful for his age, as was his wife, Sarah. His hair was long and black, with few patches of gray, as was his beard. He'd doen a lot in the past thirty years; he ran from his home in Vault 101, gave the green grass of Oasis to the wasteland, watched his father die, gave the wasteland pure water, stood toe-to-toe with the Western Elders of The Brotherhood, and battled alongside the Brotherhood and the Regulators to the near extinction of the mutants, the Enclave, and Talon Company. It was all for nothing, though, as it seemed. The mutants had returned, and are more deadly than ever, as was Talon Company, and the Outcasts after them. It was almost too much.

Alex leaned back on the guard rail behind him. He needed an objective, a group to go after first. The mutants were the most immediate threat, but the Outcasts were very powerful, and were already taking cities and settlements along the border of the Capital Wasteland. There was also Talon company, who had strength in numbers, but didn't pose a real threat to the Brotherhood. What Alex really needed was a second opinion. He turned and shouted, down into the laboratory three stories below.

"Star Paladin Maxson," he called. He was quickly answered by the sound of footsteps, traveling up the stairs and along the walkways all around Liberty Prime. Only moments later, Maxson arrived at the top of the stairs, and ran to Alex's side.

"Yes, Elder," he answered.

The Elder quickly glanced at Maxson, and returned to the glass of Liberty Prime's visor. Star Paladin Maxson was about ten years younger than Alex. He was very respected throughout the Citadel, however, because of his blood connections to the creator of The Brotherhood of Steel. He had a sort of pale skin color, and his head was shaven, though he began to grow very short, black hair.

"What do you think of all this?" he asked quietly.

"About what, sir?" the younger man asked wistfully. "Everyone out there, trying to kill us, or your son?"

"Both," Alex replied.

"Well," began Maxson. "We're well enough defended from the mutants, and the Outcasts haven't attacked..."

"They haven't contacted us, either," replied Alex.

"True," said Maxson. "Do you think they intend to attack?"

"Maxson, I know the Elders out West really liked you," said Alex. "But you and I basically spat in their faces when we refused to surrender Lyons and head West." He then turned his back to Maxson. "You are the only reason we could stay here. They left you here to watch over me. Tell me, if you think they trust you, why has Casdin attacked and 'appropriated' settlements here? Why aren't they telling us anything?"

"Maybe it's above us, and just a coincidence that it's Casdin's lot that came here," Maxson suggested.

Alex shook his head, and then turned to face Maxson. "It's far too in the Elders' taste for it to be coincidal," he replied. "They are not here to make friends."

"What do you suggest we do?" the paladin asked.

"We don't do a damn thing," said Alex. "Not until they attack. Then, we wipe them out of our land."

"That's treason, sir," replied Maxson.

"America's gone, kid!" Alex snapped. "Been that way for two hundred years! There is no treason, there is no crime in saving these people from terrorists like the Brotherhood!"

"Terrorists?" questioned Maxson. "They are the ones that sent old man Lyons here in the first place!"

"And they wanted to kill him for saving hundreds of lives!" replied Alex.

"Because he ignored his orders," argued the paladin.

"Is that all that matters?" asked Alex. "If you were told to bring food to a place full of the hungry, would you feed them if you knew you could? Or would you let them die so you could pursue the interests of you and your own?"

"If my interests led to the reconstruction of America, then yes!" shouted Maxson.

"Look around yourself, Maxson," said Alex. "We've got grass, we've got technology, and we've got clean water. And we've achieved it without using the force of the Brotherhood of steel. We've done so by comprimising with the people and governing, leading! And leading is **not** the same a controlling."

"Maybe you're right," said Maxson. "Forgive my rude tone."

"I don't need to forgive you," said Alex, turning back around. "You should never regret expressing your opinion. I'd never hold your choices against you. This tension with the Brotherhood, though, it's war. It just isn't ready to happen yet. And before it does, I need to know: what side will you be on?"

"Sir, I don't..."

"You pick a team, you go to their leader, you tell 'em you're on their side. When that war comes, will you be a paladin, or will you be a protector?"

Maxson closed his eyes and gave thought to his decision. After several moments of silence, Star Paladin Maxson opened his eyes, and told his Elder his decision. "I'll be a paladin," he said, smiling.

"Good," said Alex, still turned away from Maxson. "But, back to my original question. Now that we've got the mutants and Brotherhood out of the way, what of Talon Company?"

"And Jason?" asked Maxson.

"Yeah, what about Jason?" said a voice, not belonging to the Elder.

"Scott," said Alex, turning to see his son standing behind Maxson. "You're back."

"Yes, Father," replied Scott.

"Any good news from The Mall?" Alex asked.

Scott shook his head. "The mall's overrun by super mutants, and we're backed up to the Washington Monument."

"Damn," Alex swore, beating his fist onto the guard rail.

"It gets worse," continued Scott, grabbing his father's attention once more. "Talons are there, too. I think they're fighting the greens, but they shoot at us all the same. And they have laser weapons."

Alex, facing Liberty Prime once more, didn't say a word.

"What should we do?" asked his son, Scott.

"You're brother," said Alex, pointing at Scott. "Jason. He knows something about the Talons."

"How do we know?" Asked Scott. "He disappeared from Megaton almost three days ago, he could be anywhere, he could be dead!"

"Because he left after the Talons came after him," replied Alex. "It would be stupid to leave the protection of Megaton unless he knew something, and you boys are anything but stupid."

"You think he knows where they're camped?" Scott wondered aloud.

"He has to," said Maxson. "If he was in Arefu, why didn't he stop in Bigtown on the way there? He had to have known they would be there, or at least somewhere around there."

"And Three-dog thinks he's headed to The Coats' HQ," added Alex.

"So, what," said Scott. "Are we going to meet him there?"

"No," his father replied quickly. "You're going there to meet him. Take that one vertibird, chances are, he's probably there already."

"Wait," said Scott, holding his hands out. "You mean the Vertibird that Moira's working on?"

Alex grinned. "Yes, and you'll address her as 'Madam Scribe Brown,' Scott, I don't care how long you've known her. And don't worry, she's not as crazy as you always think."

* * *

Alex, Scott, and Maxson stepped through the swinging doors of the laboratory, exiting the building and walking into the courtyard The sunlight courtyard was a large, open area, full of initiates, running, lifting weights, target shooting, and boxing. In the middle of the courtyard was a vertibird, a small, VTOL personel carrier that relied on two side-mounted propellers. On top of the vertibird was a very youthful, red-headed woman in a tank top and the bottom half of a RobCo jumpsuit, wrench in hand and goggles on her face. Upon noticing the Elder and his son, with the star paladin following, she ripped the goggles from her head and began to wave her hands furiously.

Alex smiled as he waved back. He then looked to his son and remarked, "I see that woman every day and still can't believe she's in her fifties."

Scott stared at his father. "You're joking, right?" he asked nervously.

"No way," Alex replied. He then began to laugh. "I guess you didn't know that, did you?"

"But how?" Scott asked in amazement.

"Oh, now she's cool?" Alex asked, still laughing. "It's a long story, son, and It'll have to wait for another time." He began to walk toward her. "That's right son, your crazy, yet hot, mechanic is a geezer like me."

Scott, his jaw agape, said nothing as he followed his father toward the airship. All of his life, Scott had assumed that Moira Brown was only a few years older than himself, but in reality, she was about thirteen years older than his father, Alex.

As the three men approached the Vertibird, Moira jumped down from her place on top of it. As she landed, she immediately, and rapidly began to talk to Alex. "Hey, Alex! Oh, you'll never guess what I did- well, you might, because it's out in the open, but guess anyway- I put miniguns on the airship, is that cool or what? I-"

"Moira," Alex shouted, ending her seemingly endless babbling. "You're out of uniform."

"Well, you see," Moira said quickly. "Those robes are just so heavy, and my RobCo suit just makes me feel smarter, if that makes sense, but the sleeves are all ripped up, and it's so hot out here, so I gotta keep the top half down, and I didn't want to have no shirt, because that would be awkward for everyone, so I put this on and-"

"Forget the uniform, Miss Brown, and please just tell me what you did to the bird," Alex interrupted, almost impatiently.

"The bird?" she asked dumbly. "Oh, the vertibird! Well, of course I will! Like I was saying a sec ago, I put these minguns on either side of it, which are activated by a trigger on the inside. Each gun only holds a thousand rounds each, and I haven't figured out how to automatically load it, so once you're out, you're out. I also put this screen on the front window, that lights up where a Brotherhood holotag is, so if you're aiming at someone and the screen lights up, you're aiming at one of us... or an Outcast. Anyways, I haven't done much else to it, but It'll fly, and It'll kill, but I hope you guys only kill bad things, like deathclaws or radscorpions, and not those cute, little mole ratties."

"Good job, Moira," said Alex, looking the vertibird over. "I don't know how many times I've called you a genius.."

"Oh, cut it out," she replied. "Ooh, wait!" Moira then thrist her hand into the pocket of her jumpsuit, and pulled out a key. Handing the key to Alex, she continued. "I also retro-fitted this thing with an ignition from an old car. Now, nobody can take this thing without having the keys. High five!" She then held her hand out to Alex.

Slapping the palm of Moira's hand, Alex threw the key to his son. "You get all that?" he asked.

"I guess," Scott said dumbly, catching the key.

"Look, all you have to do is got to The Coats' place and wait for you're brother. I know him, and he's headed there, if he isn't there already."

"Got it," replied Scott, opening the side hatch and climbing into the airship. "What do I do when I meet him?"

"Tell him you're all we're sending. We're stretched too thin with the mutants, here. Tell him to find whoever he can to help him with the Talons, try Reilly's crew. You two shoudn't do too bad with them and the Regulators. Good luck." With that, Alex slammed the hatch shut, and he and Moira stepped back as the machine's propellers began to rapidly spin.

While the roaring sound of the propellers battering the air filled the courtyard, the vehicle slowly began to ascend, soon hovering above the Citadel. Quickly, the vertibird turned to the northeast, and began to move forward toward Ranger Compound. Moira waved excitedly until the vertibird was out of sight. Once she stopped, she sighed and looked at Alex. "I really hope he brings that thing back in one piece, especially after all that work I put into it," she said.

* * *

Scott sat in the cockpit of the vertibird, steering it northeast, toward Ranger Compound. He'd decided to ask the rangers for help first, and load them into the veritbird if they agreed to. Then, he would take them to Regulator HQ, and meet with Jason and the Regulators. With that party, they would have a shot at hunting down the Talons, especially if they were spread out in small camps, or living in ruins of buildings, like the last time they'd been in the Capital Wasteland. With the information Jason supposedly had, the group could attack Talon at their base of operation, and sever communication between the base and the mercs in the wasteland. With no home, they would desert each other, and Talon company's presence in D.C. would vanish.

Scott began to focus on the present, now, though, as he was gettign close to Ranger Compound. closing in on the location, he instantly noticed something was wrong. There was a fire in the middle of Seward Square, where a statue once stood, and super mutants surrounded the compound. Several of the rangers were outside as well, some on the ground, some on the roof of their fort. Below, gunshots rang out in a sea of vicious shouting and roaring; above, snipers on the roof unsuccessfully attempted to spread the mutants out, making easier targets for the rangers on the ground. Among the armed mutants on the ground, several brutes swung logs or pipes around. Several rangers died in the melee.

For a brief moment, Scott was in shock, unsure what to do. Never had he seen the mutants attack in such an organized manor before, and in such great numbers. There were at least seventy super mutants on the ground, slowly moving toward Ranger Compound. Then, Scott remembered what Moira had said about the veritbird; he remembered the miniguns. Quickly, Scott flipped a switch on the dashboard, labeled 'guns,' and lowered the altitude at which he hovered. Then, he faced the veritbird toward the mutants and emptied his mounted guns.

In only seconds, two thousand 5mm rounds sped into the mob of super mutants, quickly ripping each foe apart and spraying the red, bloody mist all about the square. In the time of the first few shots, both sides stopped firing, and then looked at the ship above. Seeing the bullets rain onto the square, the rangers quickly sought cover, but the mutants were too late to protect themselves. As the last shots were fired, the final group of the mutilated green brutes flopped lifelessly onto the ground, which was flooded with their own blood and insides.

Thoroughly pleased with his work, Scott landed the vertibird on the roof of Ranger Compound, and was met with the barrels of several guns upon exiting the vehicle. He smiled nervously and raised his hands.

"Stop!" shouted an older woman's voice. "Put your damn guns down, can't y'all see he's from the Citadel?"

The group of rangers slowly parted, revealing the woman who spoke. She was old, in her fifties, maybe. Her hair was blonde, and she wore the old, green ranger armor. This woman was Reilly, the leader of the rangers.

"You look familiar, stranger," she said to Scott. "Do I know you?"

"I'm Scott," he replied. "The Elder's son."

"Oh," she responded, smiling and slapping Scott on the back. "I knew I knew you! Thanks for the help, by the way. We're in your debt. We can get to that later though, because I'd like to know what the Brotherhood is doing in Seward Square. Your dad and I had an agreement that you'd stay outta here, so I wouldn't go out of work."

"Don't worry about that," said Scott. "I'm not here to try and shut you down."

"Then what do you want?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Your help," he answered. "And I think you're gonna want to take me up on this offer."

"We'll see," she replied. "Tell me what you got."

"Alright," he said, grinning. "I know how much you guys hate Talon Company."

At this statement, several of the rangers on the roof began to curse and spit.

"Anyway," he continued. "We believe my brother, Jason, knows the location of their main base. He's headed to Regulator HQ right now, putting together a team, which will be used to fight off the Talons. The only thing wrong with his plan is the fact that The Coats have no real strength, but work very well as an assault team. The only problem is getting to the base. The Coats would definitely need cover if they're going to break into a fort or a settlement. We would need a few sharpshooters to walk them in."

"So you just need a few snipers?" Reilly asked.

"Maybe just two or three," Scott answered.

"Can you pay us?" she asked.

"Nope," Scott answered.

"Okay then," she replied, nodding her head. She then snapped her fingers, and called, "Sammy, Clive, get over here!"

Quickly, two young men, armed with scoped rifles, ran to Reilly's side.

"These two will go with you," she said to Scott. "They're real good shots. I can only let 'em take one box of rounds, though. That's the best I can do. We good?" she asked, holding her hand out.

"We're good," replied Scott, shaking her hand. "Sammy, Clive, hop in."

One of the two grabbed a box of ammo, and then both embarked the vehicle. After saying goodbye to Reilly, Scott followed, and the three lifted off, heading to the North.

"You two ready to kill some Talons?" Scott asked the two seated behind him.

"Yes I am," Clive said eagerly, slapping a magazine into his rifle.

* * *

_"Hello, wasteland! It's me, Three-dog, bow wow, and I just got word from the Citadel that they're making a move on Talon Company! That's right, folks, they're gonna free Bigtown, and they're gonna stomp out those mercs, wherever they're hiding."_

_ "I talked to the Elder of our Brotherhood of Steel, and he says that his boy, Jason, our new favorite lone wanderer, knows where that scum is hiding out! And his other boy, Scott, went to pick up a few of Reilly's Rangers, so they could help with this little scuffle we got goin' on. After that, he's supposed to meet Jason at The Coats' HQ, and then recruit some of those guys to help 'em fight."_

_ "And on a separate, yet possibly related note, our young friend Mister MacCready has been spotted yesterday, leaving Rivet City with an escort of enough guards to kill a behemoth! Now children, last time we saw RJ, he was talkin' to Jason in Arefu. I don't think it's any kind of coincidence that RJ's got an army with him, and Jason's preparing for war. I'm thinkin' the Rivet City guards are going with RJ to Regulator HQ to fight the good fight and get his home back! Right on, RJ! That's all for today, children, but remember to tune in everyday to Galaxy News Radio, so you can get the latest news about our boy Jason, and him fightin' the good fight. But right now, it's time for some music..."_


	5. Chapter 4-Regulator HQ

**Chapter 4**

Jason stood behind the wall of sandbags, his back to the side of an overhanging cliff. It had been about an hour since the beginning of the attack. Now, he and a few Regulators were pinned to this cliff, and the way back to Regulator HQ was blocked by a battalion of Talon Company mercs. Why the mercs decided to move on Regulator HQ so quickly was unknown to Jason, but it seemed to be a despereate attack. These mercs were armed with the most powerful weaponry that Talon Company could ever hope to buy, and the group itself was relatively small. It seemed to be a raiding party, obviously made to swiftly strike an enemy and cripple them. Talon Company was more theatric- they enjoyed frightening their prey, usually. A quick attack wasn't a regular strategy for the Talons, which was why this attack was so intriguing to Jason. And surprising, as well.

The attack was very convenient in a way, though. Once it was over, Jason was sure Sonora Cruz would agree to fight Talon Company. Jason had been at the Coats' HQ for three days now, trying to get Sonora to agree to fight, but she would always decline, stating that the losses for the Regulators would be too much; they would lose more in the fight than they would gain. It became even harder to persuade her because she was right. When the Coats fought Talon twenty years before, over half of the organization was killed, leaving the wasteland a chaotic mess. If not for The Brotherhood stepping in, most smaller settlements would have been destroyed by raiders or slavers.

This fight, however, was different than before. Now, Sonora had to defend her people. This time, she would have to fight for the safety of her own, rather than the people of the wastes. Now, she had to fight the Talons because they attacked her, and it became her business. Jason was sure she would fight. All she had to do was survive the attack. That meant he needed to protect her, and he couldn't do that away from the HQ.

Jason emptied his rifle on the mercs in front of him, and then crouched behind the sandbags to reload. "Listen up," he called to his Regulator companions. "We need to get back to the compound. Those guys have laser weapons, and sandbags won't stop them forever."

"How do we get back there?" asked Tim, the first of the two companions, blindly shooting his assault rifle over the sandbags.

"We'd need some kind of cover," replied Jason, looking around for anything helpful.

"Something like a grenade," added Jonathan, the second of Jason's companions. "It'd kick up the dust, yeah?"

"It would," said Jason. "Please tell me you have one."

Grinning, Jonathan reached into his duster's pocket, withdrawing a hand grenade. He pulled the pin and chucked it over his head, waiting for the four seconds it would take to explode.

Jason counted down from three, and on zero, he yelled, "Run!"

The three men heard a violent, booming explosion from behind the wall, and shards of rock and shrapnel fired into the sandbags and the cliff. In the cluster of mercs, a large column of dust and sand blew up into the air, spreading out and blinding them all. Once the dust flew up, Jason and his partners jumped to their feet. The group sprinted around the army of mercenaries, blasting every bulllet they had blindly into the cloud of dirt.

The building stood only thirty yards away from their spot on the cliff, so the three men had no problem reaching it quickly. Once in front of HQ, Jonathan ran inside to see Sonora, while Jason and Tim joined the Regulators out front, continuing the quarrel with Talon company. Only seven Regulators were at HQ when the Talons attacked, and when they ran to arms, one stayed inside to protect Sonora, leaving Jason with two, and four in front of the compound. From what Jason could count, there were about twenty Talon Company mercs, and at least nine were killed. The rest, unfortunately, took cover in the rocks and brahmin carcasses littered about the land in front of Regulator HQ. No matter ho hard they tried, Jason and the Coats couldn't get a shot in on any of them.

Jason took cover once more to reload his rifle, but then heard a gunshot. This sound was different from the common sound of this battlefield, as it was louder, heavier. This crackling sound echoed through the sky as only one shot was fired. From where, nobody could tell. But after the sound of the one gunshot ceased, a Talon merc fell to the ground. Quickly, another shot was fired, and Jason barely caught sight of the streamline of a bullet, speeding down into another mercenary. After estimating the source of the shot fired, his guess was confirmed to be true when he looked up and saw a vertibird on top of the cliff. Two men with long rifles stood next to it.

"Hold your fire!" Jason shouted to the Coats, holding his hand up. "We've got some snipers, now."

Soon after the first two shots, the snipers on the cliff began to rapidly dispatch the mercenaries, killing them quickly, and only stopping to reload. Some mercenaries couldn't find cover, while others couldn't even locate the snipers. In a few, short moments, the mercs were all dead, and the two snipers returned to the vertibird. The propellers then began to whir, and the rumbling of the engine could be heard down in the valley. After looking over the merc's bodies, Jason decided they were all dead, and ran inside.

"Miss Cruz," he called, running up a flight of stairs. He turned and opened a door on his left, entering Sonora's room. The old woman sat in a metal folding chair, guarded by Jonathan and another Regulator. "Miss Cruz," he repeated, removing his hat.

"Yeah, I know," she answered, waving her hand at him.

"If we don't fight them, you won't survive that next attack," he said, ignoring her.

"Now, I just told you," she replied. "I already know. But you can't take all these guys, we're too shorthanded."

"Yes, I know," said Jason. "But we've got Rivet City guard, and maybe Rielly's Rangers, we only need just a few Regulators." He then pointed to Jonathan. "Hell, just give me Jon and Tim, and I promise I'll bring them back."

"And how do I know that?" Sonora asked. "I knew your father, but I don't know you, so how do I know you'll even survive yourself?"

"Ma'am, I've taken on fifty raiders with just one man at my side," Jason replied. "I'm sure I can take Talon with an army."

Sonora looked to Jonathan, who nodded to her. After a moment of thought, she finally agreed. "Fine, then, Mister Jason," she said, nodding at Jason. "But you bring them back in one piece. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," replied Jason, smiling at her.

Upon the end of their discussion, Tim entered the room, calling Jason's name. "Jason," he said. "Man says he's your brother in front of HQ, and he wants to talk to you."

"Okay then," said Jason, nodding at Tim. He slapped his hat back on top of his head and stepped out of the room, and then the building.

Outside, the Regulators were lining Talon Company mercs' bodies next to one another along the left side of the building, taking their laser weapons and grenades, and anything else that could be salvaged. On the right, the vertibird sat. This vertibird was not like any Jason had seen before, as it held two machine guns, one on either side. No vertibird had ever been armed in that way. In fact, no vertibird has had any gun attached at all. However, if this was Jason's brother, like Tim had said, that would mean this vertibird was from the Brotherhood, which led Jason to believe Scribe Brown had something to do with its armaments.

Next to the vertibird stood three men. The first two were unknown to Jason, but they wore the green ranger armor, so he only assumed they were Rielly's Rangers. The third man in the power armor was recognized instantly. Scott waved at his brother as Jason approached the three.

"How's it going, Jason?" Scott asked, smiling. He held his hand out to Jason.

"Not too bad," Jason replied, taking his brother's hand. "Just some guys making some trouble."

"Yeah, I heard," said Scott. "Dad told me to come find you."

As Jason heard his brother speak, his mood became sour almost instantly. "I'm not going back to the Citadel," he said plainly.

"Woah, who said anything about that?" asked Scott, holding his hands up. "I'm just here to help. That's what these two are for." He then pointed at the two men in green next to him.

"Are they rangers?" Jason asked looking the men over. They wore the same armor, and both were bald, but one seemed older than the other.

"Yes, they are," answered Scott grabbing Clive's shoulder. "Great shots, too. Who do you think just saved your ass?" He pointed at the older ranger, the one he had his hand on. "This one's Clive, he's been with the Rangers for a while, I guess."

"It's nice to meet you, Clive," said Jason, nodding at the ranger.

"And that one," continued Scott, pointing at the younger ranger. "That one's called Sam, but he's rather quiet."

"Hello, Sam," said Jason, also nodding at Sam.

"I do have some bad news, though," said Scott. "Dad also told me to tell you I'm all you have. He's not sending any knights to help us. He gave me the vertibird, but I emptied the guns, and I only got two snipers. Did you do any better?"

"Well, I've got two Coats," said Jason. "And MacCready said He was going to Rivet City to get some people. From what I heard on GNR, it's a lot of guys."

"Well, let's hope he gets here soon," said Scott.

Meanwhile, RJ treaded through the wastes with a small army of Rivet City Security. He headed North, through the ruins of Downtown D.C., along the Potomac. Though his group was attacked all along the river by mutants and raiders, none of the guards had been killed or severely injured. All thirteen guards had survived the trip through Downtown, and now they only had to make it to Regulator HQ. It sounded way easier than walking through D.C., and definitely seemed easier, as they weren't attacked once between the RobCo facility and Grisly Diner.

As they began to pass the building, RJ held his hand out to the company behind him, halting the group. Gripping his rifle tightly, he crouched under a window in front of the diner. When he slowly arose, scanning the building through a dusty, broken window, he didn't see anyone.

"What did you see?" a guard asked.

"Heard," RJ whispered hoarsely. "I think it's raiders. They used to be all over here."

"Should we check out the building?" another guard asked.

"No," RJ said quickly. "I'll go. If anything comes out before me, though, shoot it." With that, Rj crawled to the front door and stepped inside. For a few minutes, MacCready searched the tables and chairs, but didn't seem to find anything important. As far as the guards knew, he wasn't attacked either, as they could barely make out his sillhouette through the grimy windows, pacing through the building, often disappearing from view only to reappear moments later.

RJ couldn't find anything alluding to the presence of raiders inside the diner, and decided to quit searching. Before opening the front door to leave, however, he noticed a metal door in the back of the building, right behind the kitchen area. As he stepped closer to the door, he began to hear a shuffling sound behind it. He then came even closer, and he pressed his hand against the cool metal. The shuffling sound grew louder. Gently, he slowly began to force the door back with his hand, but was stopped when he found that something blocked the door. Curious, he pushed harder.

RJ finally managed to move the door a few inches back, but it was instantly slammed back into him by another force, one on the opposite side of the door. RJ flew backard, onto the floor, and the door opened into the diner. From it, stepped a very large team of raiders, armed with pistols and shotguns, and covered in makeshift armor from things like car tires, shopping carts, and welding masks. Panicked and worried for his life, MacCready fired his .32, dropping one of the raiders to the ground.

Immediately after incapacitating his enemy, the rest of what he assumed was twenty raiders piled into the small restaurant. While they did, though, RJ heard the voice of one of the Rivet City guards, a voice that he obeyed right away. It said, "MacCready, get down!"

RJ rolled under a booth as sound filled the building. The glass windows shattered, and several raiders dropped to the ground, dead, as hundreds of bullets hailed into the diner, picking off most of them. A few smart ones, however, had the same idea as MacCready, ducking under booths on the other side of the diner, or back in the kitchen area. With only one raider in his line of sight, RJ loaded another round into the chamber of his rifle, pulling te bolt back, and slapping it forward. He took aim and fired, only for the shot to hit the side of the booth, narrowly missing its target. Rather than try to hit his target again, RJ decided to save his ammunition, and rolled back further into the booth.

After firing a thunderous storm of bullets into the diner, the Rivet City guards acted quickly when they heard a second gunshot from inside. Five of the guards drew their batons and charged into the building, breaking the door from its hinges. Once they charged in, though, the raiders behind the bar and under the booths took their turn at shooting, jumping up and shooting all five down. After seeing the raiders from the outside, the rest of the guards fired their assault rifles once more, finishing them off.

MacCready, sure that the gunfire had ceased, stepped out of his hiding spot under the booth. The appearance of the diner changed drastically since he'd hidden. Now, bodies of both guards and raiders littered the floor, the windows were entirely destroyed, the walls were riddled with bulletholes, and the inside of the building was almost completely repainted with blood.

MacCready waved the rest of his men in, and then noticed a dead raider slumped over the bar, something clutched in his hand. RJ approached the body as his men came in, and westled the dead man's fingers back. After finally succeeding, a small key dropped from the raider's palm.

"What's it for?" a guard asked, noticing the key in RJ's hand.

"I'm not sure," replied RJ, turning to face the metal door to his right. "But I'm sure that it's back there."

RJ, followed by the remaining eight security guards, opened the door and stepped outside. A concrete wall surrounded the back of the diner, creating a sort of extra room. Beds lined the walls, as did a table and fridge. What cought RJ's eye, however, was the shelf to his left. On the bottom sat what RJ assumed was two boxes of ammunition, the middle shelf held three laser pistols, and on the top lay a missile launcher. Excited, RJ ran to the shelf, grabbing the laser pistols and tossing them to the guards behind him. He then grabbed the missile launcher, and gently handed it to another guard, trying very hard not to drop it, as missile launchers were fragile.

After the guards decided who was given what weapons, RJ picked up the two ammo boxes and threw them onto the nearby table. The first box opened with ease, as it was unlocked. When RJ flipped the lid open, he found the box to be filled to the top with energy cells for the laser pistols. He handed the box to one of the guards and instructed him to divide the energy cells between the men with the laser weapons.

The second ammo box on the table wasn't as easy as the first, as it seemed to have a lock. Remembering the key from the raider, RJ fished through his pockets and found it. He then slipped the key into the lock on the box and turned it, hearing a clicking sound. The box was unlocked. He flipped the lid up, and he grinned. Inside was a stack of missiles, four across, four tall.

"What is it, MacCready?" one guard asked.

"Sixteen rockets," said RJ, still grinning.

"Sixteen?" another asked.

"Look and see for yourselves," replied RJ, holding the box out for the group to see. "I Think I'm holding onto this. You," he continued, pointing at the guard that held the missile launcher. "You stay close to me." He then walked through the group, stepping back into the diner. "Let's hit the road, people," he said. "We gotta get to Coats' HQ, let's move it!"

_"Helloooo, children! It's Three-dog, your ruler, with the news! All right, children, you remember my theory about Jason, our lone wanderer from Megaton goin' to the Coats' HQ, right? Well it's time for you kiddies to be astounded- I was right! Just today, I got word from Rosie's Republic that there were gunshots all over in the southwest, right about where ol' Regulator HQ is. Now, after everything that's happened with this kid, I'd say he's movin' on Talon soon."_

_ "In other news, I myself saw a big damn vertibird fly over the GNR studio earlier. And would you believe me if I told you it had some big damn guns, too? Maybe you don't, but I know what I saw, and with a mind like Moira Brown workin' for the Brotherhood, you never know what cool stuff they got. Moira is a friggin' genius, so I could see her rigging some guns on a vertibird, no problem. This is the girl that wrote the book on Wasteland survival... literally. What's even better is that she got her youth back a few years ago after an ordeal in Oasis, but that's a story for later, children. The point is, this chick's like fifty, and she doesn't look or act older than twenty-five."_

_ "Well, before I start rambling, I think I'll just give you kiddies your music back. Thanks for listening, children! This is Three-dog, awhooo, and your listening to Galaxy News Radio! We're bringin' you the truth, no matter how bad it hurts..."_


	6. Chapter 5-Assault on Bigtown

**Chapter 5**

Jason sat on a rock, facing the cliff to the South. His eyes occasionally shifted to the trail heading down the cliff, wating for MacCready to return. Sure enough, after about an hour of waiting, he saw the nine or ten silhouettes of MacCready and his bunch, the sun at their backs, walking down the trail on the cliff. Jason stood and waved his arm, signalling to the group. RJ and the eight security guards waved back, quickening their pace to meet Jason downhill.

Once RJ had reached the bottom, he strode over to Jason and the two shook hands. Jason immediately began to explain the recent turn of events rapidly to RJ.

"Talons attacked, but we stopped them," he said, leading MacCready and his men back to Regulator HQ. "It was a smaller force, though, and they carried some powerful weapons. It looks like they're either way tougher than we thought, or they didn't expect us to get involved and became desperate."

"Or it could've just been a team sent to take out HQ," added RJ. "And they might have been lost becuse you showed up, or maybe they underestimated the Coats."

"Maybe," Jason thought aloud. "We won't know until we take back Bigtown. Now that you've brought the Rivet City Guard, it'll be easier. Or rather, easier than it already was."

"What do you mean, easy?" RJ asked, slightly hurt by the openly arrogant comment about the recently captured Bigtown.

As Jason, RJ, and the guards reached the HQ, Jason pointed to the large machine in front of the building. "That's what I mean."

RJ came to a dead stop when he came close to the machine. It was a vertibird, but it was larger than most others in length, and carried two miniguns on its flanks.

"It's got guns?" he asked excitedly, running to the vertibird. "Do they work right?" he asked, studying the vehicle.

"Scott says they do," replied Jason, crossing his arms, also looking the veritbird over.

"Scott.." RJ said quietly, turning to face Jason. "Scott... Your brother! Your brother's here?"

"Yep," said Jason, grinning. "Along with two Ranger snipers. They're inside, trying to get Miss Sonora to sell them ammo for this thing. Apparently, Scott blew all of his on some super mutants."

"Alright," said RJ, leaning on the vertibird. "So now we're all here, what's the plan?"

"Scott and I discussed a plan earlier, before you got here," replied Jason. "Basically, We'll have Scott take the Rangers up to an overpass and have them snipe, giving us support from a distance. Then we'll have the security guys attack from the front of Bigtown, since they're the only ones in armor."

"I don't think they'll agree to that," said RJ, cutting in.

"They won't really be in combat," replied Jason. "Since you guys have that ditch, the only way to get in town from the front is that bridge over it. The guards won't go into town, they'll just draw the mercs' fire, forcing all of their attention on that bridge."

"Most likely, they'll have your people in the back of town, they'll want to use them as leverage. So, meanwhile, you, me, and the Coats are gonna climb the back wall, sneaking in. This will put us between them and the hostages, and we'll have flanked them. Once we do, we signal the guards to move up, and we mow the mercs down from both sides."

"Cool," said RJ. "But what about the vertibird?"

"What, this thing?" asked Jason, patting the flank of the veritbird.

"I'll have it in the air," said Scott, walking around the front of the vehicle. "Jason and I figure they won't have too many numbers, especially after what happened here today. So, This thing won't be in combat in Bigtown, unless things get extremely hairy. For the most part, we'll need this thing at the old Police Station to take out the yard and upper floors while you guys move in from the front."

"Okay, when are we leaving?" asked RJ, the eagerness of reclaiming his town returning to him.

"Tomorrow at dawn," said both Jason and Scott.

"If you want to get any sleep, you'll wanna get to bed right now," added Jason.

"But it's only dusk," replied RJ.

"Yeah, I know," said Jason. "But I've done this a million times. Just take my advice. The Coats will be on watch, I'm going to bed." With that, Jason went into the building, followed by Scott, the guards, the Rangers, and finally, RJ MacCready.

The next morning, everyone awoke sluggishly, reluctantly crawling from their makeshift bunks inside Regulator HQ. It was about an hour from dawn. The group of fifteen decided to take this time to eat and then step outside. Once everyone was in front of the coumpound, Jason and Scott explained the plan to the group. Their plan hadn't changed a bit from when they had told it to RJ. It was a very good plan, and everyone agreed to their part.

After telling the group about their plan, Jason and Scott distributed the fallen mercs' weapons throughout their men, as well as the weapons RJ had found in Grisly Diner. The three laser pistols were kept by the Rivet City Guard, along with four more found on the bodies of Talon mercs. Also found on the mercs' bodies were a total of four laser rifles. These four rifles were given to Jon, who was now wearing a hat, and two Rivet City guards. The final one was kept by Jason, as his rifle was empty.

"You guys need to remember," called Jason, passing the laser rifles out. "We've only got enough ammo to give each of you two full cells. That means, when we're marching, you keep those things on your back, we're not wasting our shots on mole rats."

When Jason finished speaking, Sammy, the sniper, raised his hand.

"What is it, Sammy?" asked Scott, pointing at the young Ranger.

"It's an ammo problem, sir," replied Sammy, dropping his hand to his side. "We just checked, and we only have half a box left, sir."

"Damn it," cursed Scott, turning away and scratching his head.

"We can make it last, though," continued Sammy. "We just need t be conservative on this trip to Bigtown."

"Yeah, but what about the Police HQ?" asked Scott.

"They can make it last," said Jason. "And who knows, maybe we'll find ammo on the mercs in Bigtown."

"All right, then it's settled," said Scott, "Is my bird loaded?"

"Yes it is," said Clive, the older ranger.

"Then let's move," finished Scott.

Sammy and Clive hopped into the vertibird with Scott while the rest of the group began to march southwest, toward Bigtown.

Once again, Jason was in the wastes. This time was different, though, because it was dawn. There was no oppressive heat. In fact it was very cold, and there was a biting wind. The sky was dark blue, and the sun could be seen rising on the horizon. Sand sprayed about, and the shriveled trees swayed and cracked in the breeze. It was a kind of freezing hell, as opposed to the sweltering heat of the day. Both were equal in magnitude, however, and Jason couldn't decide which he hated more.

After about four hours of walking through the cold desert, the group made it into the Potomac. Now they stood just North of Vault 101, and only needed to follow the river to Bigtown, which they did.

Meanwhile, Scott landed his Vertibird on an overpass, just West of Bigtown. From this spot, the two Ranger snipers could see every merc in Bigtown. None of the hostages were seen outside, but the Rangers assumed they were imprisoned in a building, most likely in the back of the town, far away from the entrance. As for the mercs themselves, Clive counted a little under thirty men guarding the inside of the walls, and only two or three outside.

"Hey, Sammy," said Clive, nudging his partner in the shoulder. "They don't have any guards outside of town."

"What?" asked Sammy. "No way, Clive. Mercs are stupid, but not that stupid."

"Look for yourself," said Clive. "There's only like three of em' out there."

Rolling his eyes, Sammy impatiently swung his rifle up and looked through the scope. "Clive, I think your age is affecting your eyesi- whoa, what?"

"Told you," said Clive, smirking.

"Yeah, I guess," replied Sammy. "You think maybe those guys at the Coats' HQ were from here?"

"Maybe," said Clive. "It would explain why these guys are so shorthanded. Maybe they expected those guys to kill the Coats and come straight back. And hell, If Scott's brother and us weren't there, they mighta killed everyone."

"Well," said Sammy. "We might wanna check and see if they have any more guns than the ones we got off that group." He sunk his head back down to his scope and peered through once more.

"Anything?" asked Clive.

"Nah, I'll I'm seeing is ARs," replied Sammy. "I guess we wait for Jason and MacCready."

"Well, we won't be waiting too long," said Clive, looking through his own scope once more. "They're already there." Through his scope, Clive saw Jason and his group crawling from the Potomac, sneaking between the surrounding burned buildings.

"I only see two perimeter guards," Jason whispered to the group. "You guys in armor, take them out quietly."

Nodding to Jason, two guards moved forward, ducking behind two separate buildings. Once in position, they drew their knives and began to knock the hilts on the walls they stood against. Hearing the knocking sound, the mercs walked toward it to investigate. Once they passed the houses, the Rivet City Guard plunged their knives into the throats of the unsuspecting mercenaries. Satisfied with their work, the guards withdrew their knives, gently laying the bodies behind the house.

Giving the two a thumbs-up, Jason continued left to the next house. He crept up to the corner and looked around, seeing another merc guarding the town. He held his hand out to his group, signalling them to stay hidden, and then continued forward, dodging between houses, trying to flank his enemy. Sure enough, Jason came only a few feet away from his enemy, his knife drawn. While Jason was moving in for the kill, however, the mercenary turned around, seeing Jason.

The merc began to shout, but was silenced when Jason tackled him, driving his blade into the man's throat. It was too late, though, as the mercs in town heard the shouting. Quickly, Jason returned to his group, waving the Rivet City Guard to the front bridge. Once the guards were in view, the mercs opened fire. Keeping to Jason and Scott's plan, the guards didn't use the laser rifles, and stayed in cover to keep from getting shot.

Seeing the guards' distraction working, Jason took RJ, Jon, and Tim along the wall to the back of Bigtown. Once behind the town, RJ looked to the West, waiting for the Snipers. After seeing the white flash and the streamline from the Rangers' rifles, he smiled.

"The snipers are going at it," he said quickly, climbing over the wall.

One by one, the other three followed over the wall unseen by the mercs, just as planned. Once inside, the four took cover behind porches, barrels, pillars, and whatever else they could find, and then opened fire on the mercs.

Taken by surprise, the Talon mercs' fire on the guards stopped entirely and switched to the four who had infiltrated the town, just as Jason and Scott had predicted. Taking advantage of the situation, the guards moved up, firing their laser weapons on the crowd. With nowhere to go, the mercs piled onto the bridge, allowing only a few men to shoot at a time. However, the mercs fell at a very rapid pace, only to pile up and block the other mercs' line of fire.

It didn't take long for the two groups to kill the last few Talon mercs trapped on the bridge. After they did, the guards helped Jason and RJ move the bodies off of the bridge while Jon and Tim searched for the hostages. While they searched, Scott brought the two Rangers to Bigtown on the veritbird.

None of the fifteen died in the attack on Bigtown, but a few were wounded, Tim among them. the guards' injuries were very minor, as their armor kept them from gaining serious wounds, but Tim was shot in the shoulder. He would live and he would most definitely fight again, but for the time being, couldn't move his arm. Since he couldn't fight, it was decided that he would go back to the Regulator HQ.

Upon, Scott's landing, Jon walked Tim across the bridge to the vertibird. The two nodded at Sammy and Clive as the Rangers jumped out of the vehicle. Soon after, Scott disembarked the veritbird, meeting the Regulators on the bridge.

"Did you find the hostages?" Scott asked Tim, eyeing the bandage on his shoulder.

"Yeah," said Tim, wincing in pain. "They're all fine, but I got shot. Jason says I need to go back to HQ."

"Alright," replied Scott. "Just wait in the bird, I need to talk to Jason."

Nodding, Tim stepped into the veritbird.

"It went smoothly," said Jon, following Scott. "No one died, and we got all the hostages. We also got lucky enough to find a doctor here. Tim might have bled out if she hadn't helped."

"Then it's a good thing that she was here," replied Scott. "And with no deaths, we can move on the Police HQ faster, as soon as I get Tim back to Coats' HQ." After the brief conversation, Jon and Scott found Jason in the middle of town. "Jason," Scott called.

Jason heard his brother and ran to him, as it was time to discuss their next plan of attack. "Good to see you, Scott," he said, nodding to his brother.

"I hear there were no fatalities on our side," said Scott. "Did any of the mercs get away?"

"Nope," replied Jason. "We trapped them all on the bridge. Nobody would've made it out. Tim got shot, though."

"Yes, I've spoken to him," said Scott. "I'm taking him back, and then we need to get to Germantown. We can't wait for Talon Company to retaliate."

"I guess we can't," said Jason. He then waved his arm. "Everyone on me!" he shouted, trying to find his men in the groups of released hostages. Soon enough, everyone found him. "Okay, listen up," he started. "We've saved these people, but we don't have time to take a break. We can't let these guys come back here." He waited for everyone to start complaining, but was happily surprised when he noticed his men were listening intently. He continued. "Scott is taking Tim back to HQ, we're leaving when he gets back. In the meantime, does anyone have any ideas on how we're going to attack Germantown?"

"I do," shouted a woman. She forced her way through the crowd of rescued people until in Jason's sight.

"It's Red," Jason said to Scott. "She's the doctor that patched Tim's arm." Red was the doctor of Bigtown, as she had been for almost thirty years. She had very dark skin, and always wore a red bandana and her Red Racer jumpsuit, which she found in lamplight caverns when she was a little girl. It's also where she picked up the name Red. Everyone in Bigtown came from Lamplight Caverns, and most had nicknames just like Red.

"You guys are goin' to that police station, yeah?" she asked, closing in on the brothers.

"Do you know anything about it that could help us out?" asked Jason.

"Hell yeah, I do," she replied lightheartedly. "I was in there more than a couple times."

"Well what is it?" Scott asked quickly.

"Calm down, boy," she scolded, eyeing the paladin. "Don't you talk to your elders like that." After seeing a slightly apologetic shrug from Scott, she continued. "The police station's got a basement. It's where they locked me up about twenty-five years back, 'course mutants ran the place back then. Anyway, the basement is very open, but there's a lot of cover in the offices on the first floor and up. My advice is to clear the yard, then head to the basement from the outside. You'll get em' easier, and maybe they got hostages for you to rescue."

"Thank you," said Jason. "You've been very helpful."

"Oh, one more thing," she said loudly before walking away. "If you wanna get em' quiet, go see my friend Knick. He makes silencers for guns."

After Red's departure, Scott returned his attention to his brother. "You go get the silencers," he said. "I'm taking Tim home." He then walked toward the bridge. "You guys be ready when I get back."

Jason took off his hat and let out a long, exhausted sigh. "Just a little longer," he said to himself. "But until then, lots to do." He then walked toward the shop, where Knick worked.

* * *

_"Yeeeeeeah, dawgy! Boys and girls, you know who it is, you know what time it is: time for the news! Children, today is a very emotional day. Earlier this morning, our friend, our buddy, Jason... WOOPED THE ASSES OF THE FREAKIN' TALON COMPANY MERCS! You heard me right boys and girls! this was the first move of his on the mercs, and in just one morning, he and a few Coats, some Rangers, and a batallion of Rivet City Guard took Bigtown, with absolutely no casualties!"_

_ "101, your kid's some hot stuff. You should be proud. Anyways, that's all children. This is Three-dog, awhoooo, and you're listening to Galaxy News Radio. We're radio free wasteland, and we're here for you..."_

* * *

Thanks for waiting, guys. Hope this chapter's worth the time it took. The next few won't take as long, I promise.


	7. Chapter 6-Victory at Germantown?

**Chapter 6**

Jason reached for the radio and turned it off. It was almost time to leave, and he could see Scott's vertibird flying from the East, where it was getting dark. It had been a few hours since Scott left. In that time, Jason outfitted Sammy and Clive's rifles with silencers and came up with a plan of attack for the Germantown Police Station, which he would explain to Scott once he landed.

It was just about dusk, now, as the temperature sunk and the sun could just barely be seen to the West. Jason and the men were sitting in folding chairs in the middle of town, waiting for Jason's brother. They were ready for Germantown. In fact, they may have even been eager.

As Scott's vertibird came closer, the sound of its whirring propellers and roaring engine grew in volume. Finally, after reaching the town, the vehicle sank to the ground and deactivated, making the town quiet once more. After seeing the vertibird, the guards and Rangers jumped to their feet, ready to hear the plan once more. Then, they would take out Talon Company.

"It's about damn time you got back!" Jason shouted to his brother as Scott crawled from the vehicle. "Our guys are out here freezing to death, what happened?"

Scott responded with a weak smile. "I got stuck talking to Miss Sonora," he said. "She wasn't very happy about us breaking Tim."

"Ouch," replied Jason. "Well, it's dusk, time to go, so don't plan on taking any naps until after we take the police station."

"Alright then," replied Scott. "What's the plan?"

"Easy," said Jason, gesturing for everyone to come closer. "All we gotta do is sneak in. The yard is like a maze of fences and sandbags, so we go in with knives once more. The knives are just backup, though, because these two..." He slapped Clive on his armored shoulder. "Are gonna get everyone from afar, and silently."

"Okay, sounding good," Scott said.

"Once they clear the yard, we find the basement entrance that Doctor Red told us about. Then we go in there, cut down the Talons, and free any prisoner in there. Meanwhile, you take the bird and rip the second and third floor up. You won't have to worry about us getting in the way since we'll be in the basement. I got a smoke bomb from Knick, I'll use it when we go in. You see that smoke, you shoot."

"When you finish the upper floors, and when we finish the basement, I'll go after the first floor while you land the bird. Once we're done with the mercs, we gotta search the place for any records; we need to know if there are more from Talon, if any are coming back, and who made a contract with them."

"Good plan," said Scott waving to the vertibird. "Okay, Rangers, with me!"

"RJ," echoed Jason. "Let's go! You too, Jon!"

The company marched toward the North on a straight path to Germantown. They encountered nothing on their way, and the eagerness to win the final fight kept everyone wide awake and suddenly immune to the biting cold. As they marched, Scott dropped Sammy and Clive, along with their last twenty shots, on a roof of a house, two blocks from the police station.

Minutes after, Jason's lot arrived, rifles slung, and knives in hand. Just after passing the Rangers, the Rangers opened fire, silently anihilating the mercenary guards outside of the fence. Jason ran stealthily to the front gate and opened it, waving his men inside. He followed and then returned to the front of the group, leading his men through the maze of fences and sandbags. Keeping about ten feet ahead of the group, Jason creeped through the maze, slowly turning corners, ready to attack.

Not long after entering, Jason found out that the maze was quite small, as it only contained four or five turns. He didn't come in contact with any mercs in there, and neither did anyone else. Assuming Sammy and Clive had picked off every merc, he thrusted his knife back into his inner coat pocket. The entrance to the yard was just ahead to the left, and nothing dangerous was in view.

The entrance was wide, and had piles of sandbags on either side of it. Jason stepped through.

"Alright everyone," he said. "Let's show these mercs..." He then looked around. past the entrance, rows of tents sat along the sides. The yard was a small town of mercenaries. Quickly, he cursed, diving down behind the pile of sandbags on the left.

The mercenaries opened fire, instantly blowing the sandbags open and shooting dirt up from the ground. RJ and the rest of the group lined up on the fence next to the entrance, just beside Jason.

"We're not too great at sneaking in, Jason!" RJ shouted, trying to be heard over the deafening gunfire.

"New plan, guys!" Jason shouted back. "You, rockets," he said, pointing to the guard with the missile launcher. "You're up!"

Nodding, the guard moved up in the line, now standing next to RJ. Jason quickly lept out of the entrance back into the maze, barely avoiding the bullets coming his way. Replacing him was the guard, a missile launcher on his shoulder.

The guard fired, blasting five or six mercs into the air and disorienting the rest. Taking advantage of the disarray, the guard loaded another missile into the launcher, firing it at the furthest tent on the left, taking out another three mercs.

"Now!" Jason called. "Rush them now!"

The men, in groups of two, entered the yard, firing into the tents. RJ stuck with Jason, who ran straight into the cluster of mercs close to the building, his shotgun drawn. Quickly, he fired, the spread of his weapon taking two or three mercs out at a time. RJ was at his back, unloading his assault rifle on anything Jason missed. before long, the guards began to fire on the same group, finishing the mercs in the yard. Jason looked around, confirming the kills his group had made.

"Looks like we got em'," he said, slinging his shotgun into the holster on his back. "Alright, guys, we'll check the tents later."

"We going in now?" asked RJ, loading a new magazine into his rifle.

"Yep," Jason replied, pulling a small metal capsule from his coat. He pulled a ring from the top of the capsule and threw it into the middle of the yard. Smoke began to spew out from the top.

"That the smoke bomb?" asked one of the guards.

Jason pulled his laser rifle from his shoulder. "Everyone inside," he said, nodding his head. After shooting the lock off, RJ flung open the basement door. The group then piled inside.

The basement was very dark. Jason and his men stood in a hallway, which had dim lights lining the tops of the walls. Dust filled the air, and there was a sort of green fog along the ceiling. On the far side of the hall, Jason could see the stairwell that led to the first floor. Close to the stairs on the left of the hall was another room, the prison cells. The closest room was on the right; it was the armory.

Jason entered the room ready to fire, but was cought off guard when he realized no one was in the armory. The rest of the men followed Jason in, immediately running to the shelf full of laser rifles. RJ, Jon, Jason, and the guards were able to replace all of their weapons with new laser rifles, and the group gained even more ammo; over a thousand shots each, according to Jason's math.

As the group happily exited the armory, they immediately remembered where they were when they heard the roaring miniguns of the vertibird begin to tear the upper levels to shreds. The men weren't the only ones to hear it, as a group of Talon mercs came charging from the room that held the jail cells. Not expecting to see anyone downstairs, they didn't stand a chance against the furious firing of lasers from Jason's bunch. The mercs fell quickly.

"Okay, now the basement's clear," Jason announced. "You two," he said, pointed to two guards, one being the carrier of the missile launcher. "You guys stay here, and don't you let anything come through that door." He then pointed to a third guard. "You check the cells and secure the rooms. We got them, but make sure they're really dead. Everyone else on me." He and the seven remaining men charged up the stairs.

The first floor was full of offices. each identical, they consisted of a desk in a cubicle, a trash can, a terminal, and an electronic printer. On the South side of the first floor, to the left of the stairs, was a hallway. Along the outer wall were windows overlooking the yard. After the vertibird opened fire, every merc in the building had their weapon pointed at it, and they all stood at these windows. Hoping to remian undetected, Jason and his men took cover behind the desks and cubicles. They then opened fire on the mercs in the hall, who had no cover.

Meanwhile, the snipers, Sammy and Clive, stood on top of a house two blocks to the South. After Jason and the rest entered the building, the yard was empty. The two Rangers had been able to kill a few mercs through the windows, but then the vertibird came, taking their job. They almost climbed down from the roof, but then noticed the mercs on the roof of the police station.

Three mercs climbed out of a hatch on the roof, each armed with a missle launcher. They ran to the edge of the building, aiming their weapons at the vertibird, ready to blow it away. Before they were able to fire, however, the Rangers took action, blasting holes in the mercs from two blocks away.

With the heavy weapons taken out, Scott moved up from the second floor, emptying his miniguns on the third floor. So far, the vehicle hadn't taken any damage, but now he was out of ammo, as well as immediate danger, he decided to land the vertibird on the roof and meet everyone on the third floor.

"One of you guys," said Jason, eying the stairwell down the hall. "Go get our friends downstairs."

Nodding his head, one of the guards ran downstairs.

"This doesn't make sense," Jason said, looking over the bodies of the mercs in the hall. "How does Talon Company get weapons like this? Look at them." He then walked down the hall, pointing at certain bodies. "This one's got a laser rifle. So does this one, and this one, this one... That one has a laser gatling gun..." He then stopped at the end of the hall. "And the rest have infiltrators."

"Maybe they came from up North, near The Pitt, or by the Commonwealth," suggested RJ.

"Or they attacked the outcasts," said Jon, taking his hat off and scratching his head. "No way anybody just gave em' these weapons, and we're close enough to em'."

"Maybe," Jason mumbled.

"Jason," called a Rivet City guard, running up the stairs, followed by three more. "I got the other two, just like you asked."

"Good," said Jason, pointing behind himself. "Now we're going up."

The group marched up the stairs to the third floor, their hearts all racing. This last gunfight on floor three would decide the fate of the Talon Company mercs. No strategy was made, no plan drawn out. It was clearly evident that after losing all of their power weapons and half of their men, the last few mercs would be desperate. Jason's men only had to open the door and kill them all.

Jason, who led the group, reached the top of the staircase. He took a deep breath, and then he kicked the door. His foot hit the door so hard that it flew from its hinges. Upon entering the room, time seemed to slow down for Jason. He ran in, firing away the last shots in his laser rifle. Following him, his men charged in, shooting wildly into the cluster of mercs left alive after Scott's attack in the vertibird.

As the group's weapons each ran out of ammo, twelve merc bodies fell to the ground, joining the group killed by the minigun. The mercs did shoot back, however, killing three of the Rivet City guards, and grazing Jason's left calf. There were only a handful of mercs left, but none of Jason's men, or Jason himself, could shoot.

His mind racing through different ways to survive, he decided to draw his pistol. As he unholstered it, he saw his brother slide down a ladder from the ceiling, his pistol out as well. Jason then fired his gun the fastest he ever had in his life, killing two of the mercs, six shots to the chest each. Scott finished the last mercenary, sighing in relief as he did so.

Jason holstered his pistol, looking around the room. Bodies littered the floor. The entire thrid floor was made up of one room. Jason assumed this was a lab of some sort, as there were terminals and medical tools all over. Columns were scattered everywhere, and the walls were riddled with bullet holes. On the far end of the room, where Scott stood, there was a ladder on the wall, leading to the roof.

"You get the second floor?" Jason asked his brother.

"Yeah," Scott replied. "Parked the bird up on the roof."

"I guess we better find out who these guys were working for," said Jason. "Jon, RJ, stay here and help us out. The rest of you, up on the roof. Keep an eye on our bird."

Immediately, the guards ran to the roof, reloading their weapons, chatting about their victory.

"Well," said RJ, walking toward Jason. "We got em'. Thanks a lot."

"Don't thank me yet," Jason said tiredly, rubbing the wound on his left leg. "We still have to check these terminals."

The four each hurried to a different terminal, checking for any data on a recent contract. Mostly, they only found dummy nodes, terminals with malfunctioning hardware. Every now and then, however, they would find information on inventory, power in the station, or even the names of the present mercs.

After checking three terminals himself, Scott found one with lines of random characters displayed onscreen.

"Hey, Jason," he said, waving to his brother. "I found a locked one."

"Where?" asked Jason, striding over to his brother. "Let me at it."

Stepping aside, Scott let his brother work with the terminal. Jason went to work instantly, his eyes darting across the screen, his fingers furiously tapping away at the keyboard. In less than a minute, He'd hacked his way into the computer, now scrolling through a series of documents. After failing to open several files, he became impatient.

"Damn it," he swore, beating his fist on the desk. "What the hell is this?"

"What is it?" Scott asked, leaning forward to look at the screen.

"Are the files encrypted?" asked Jon, walking over to Jason.

"Yeah, but that's not the problem," Jason said, attempting again to open files on the terminal. This time, he succeeded, but his mood only worsened. After opnening a file, he furiously pushed the terminal away, stepping back from the desk.

"What is it, then?" asked Scott.

"You didn't recognize the coding?" Jason asked, glaring at his brother.

Scott leaned forward, scanning the screen. "It's Brotherhood encryption," he said, surprised.

"What?" asked RJ, confused.

Scott looked at RJ, his face twisted in anger. "It's the goddamn Brotherhood."

"Jon was right, then," said RJ. "That's where they got the weapons, right?"

"Half right," said Jon. "That's where they got the guns, but they didn't raid the Outcasts. The Outcasts hired em'."

"That means they're moving on Dad," Jason said to Scott, ripping his hat off and throwing it to the ground. "I've changed my mind, we gotta go back to the Citadel."

"Woah," said Scott, holding his hands out. "If you come back, they won't let you leave again."

"I don't have a choice," replied Jason. "We need the Brotherhood right now, and they need me. We won't beat the outcasts any other way, especially if they've got enough firepower to be giving laser weapons away like this."

"Just as long as you're sure," said Scott. "I don't want you to-"

"BEHEMOTH!"

Jason and Scott dropped their conversation and looked at the ladder. One of the guards slid down, frantically shouting, "Behemoth!"

Jason, without thinking, ran to the ladder and climbed to the roof as fast as he could. Scott, RJ, and Jon followed. Jason sprinted over to the edge of the roof, looking to the North. Only a hundred yards away was an enormous, powerful, hulking super mutant behemoth. It stood at least twenty feet tall, and was charging directly to the building, armed with a handful of clustered lamposts.

Frenzied in panic, the Rivet City Guard fired every round of every weapon they had, trying to slow the giant, green beast down. It had no effect, though. Thinking quickly, Scott ran to the vertibird, shouting at everyone to get in. Jason and Jon sprinted over to the vehicle, but were too late to embark.

The behemoth crashed into the side of the building swinging his makeshift club at the roof. Hitting the huddled guards, the monster killed all five instantly. As he charged into the building, the first and second floors were obliterated, and the roof caved in at the center.

Scott barely managed to fly away, but Jason, RJ, and Jon fell into the collapsing ruins of the police station, crashing through wood planks and drywall all the way down.

_ "Helooo, children! It's Three-dog, awhooo, and you're listening to GNR! ...That's Galaxy News Radio, for those who can't spell. Anyway, news. So today, I told you kiddies about our boys in steel... and black, I guess. And brown. Anyway, they freed Bigtown, but I got a super important public sevice announcement for villiages like Bigtown up North."_

_ "You see, kids, there have been a lot, and I mean a lot of super mutant sightings and even attacks up North. Our last account came from Oasis, but then all communication stopped for some reason. My guess is the Outcasts have finally taken the place, or, 'appropriated' as they say it. Point is, keep away from up there, children."_

_ "Thanks for listening, children! This is Three-dog, awhooo, and you're listening to Galaxy News Radio, and we're here for you..."_


	8. Not chapter 7, very sorry

Hey, everyone!

So, this isn't a new chapter. Let me tell you why. I was in the middle of typing it, but something happened to the wireless connection in my keyboard and the receiver isn't working properly.

I just figured that since I hadn't posted in a while, I'd tell everyone I'm still alive, and I'm still writing... sort of.

Anyway, I figured that since I can't share my new chapter with you, I'd at least tell you a few things.

1.) As soon as I get a new keyboard, I'll work way quicker; don't give up on me.

2.) There are ghouls in the next chapter. (fist pump) yes.

3.) Jason is NOT the Courier, I don't know how people assume that. He and Scott are The Lone Wanderer's children, that's all.

4.) In case you haven't noticed, I made a few subtle, reasonable changes to the fallout 3 story to fit mine.

5.) Keep up the reviews! I don't care about the popularity, I just want constructive criticism. You guys don't realize, I don't share my stories with anyone. Basically, my lifeline to better writing is in your reviews.

Thanks for reading this. Hopefully I can get a new keyboard. Until then, thanks for listening, children!


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